Things have started to get interesting in the Bronx. Marcus Stroman, the free-agent pitcher who showed interest in the Pinstripes, was reportedly turned down. However, the talks about him joining the New York Yankees are back up. How did the Yanks go from turning down a request to being a “top candidate”?

The 32-year-old had maintained a low profile throughout the off-season. However, shadowed under the noise of the early-December free agencies, the wait has been long for Stroman. Perhaps the wait is over with the Yankees in the picture.

The What, Why, and How About the Stroman-Yankees Union

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi took to Twitter (now, X) to share some interesting developments regarding a potential Stroman-Yankees union. His tweet read, “The Yankees have emerged as the top candidate to sign Marcus Stroman, a source says. I’m told both sides have had productive discussions in recent days.” What could have led to discussions after all?

The Yankees’ thirst for a pitcher has remained unquenched since they lost out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the LA Dodgers. Moreover, as the club is careful about spending, they have expanded their horizons to look at other pitchers. That list undoubtedly includes the Chicago Cubs’ righty, along with some more.

Jordan Montgomery, Dylan Cease, Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes, and Shane Bieber are some of the other pitchers who have struck a chord with the Big Apple mega-franchise. But ‘Stro’ is the most cost-effective option for the club. It now makes sense why the Yankees would have proceeded with discussions in that direction.

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More About the Possibility of Marcus Stroman in the Pinstripes

Born in the state of New York, Stroman has played for the Chicago Cubs for the past two seasons. In those two seasons, he finished 16–16 with a 3.73 ERA. However, in 2023, he had a scorching start and was selected for the National League All-Star team. The 31-year-old also holds the 2017 World Baseball Classic MVP title. There are some downsides to this as well, though.

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The Gold Glove Award winner had missed a large portion of the second half of the 2023 season due to a ribcage injury. Though he had been injured, he went ahead and declined his 2024 option, which could have landed him $21 million for the upcoming season. With a hope for a change in the team, and perhaps the stars are aligning for Stroman and the NYY. Will the Yankees finally sign this player who would not burn holes in their pocket?